tlug: was email software --> UNICODE input

["Olinsky, Craig" <olinskyc@example.com>]

> That will take development of a lot of auxiliary tools, though; with
> all the resources of Microsoft etc behind it, Unicode is just now
> getting decent fonts.  So users will be dependent on existing fonts,
> and you'll have to build smart tools to handle multi-byte fonts.  As
> far as I know, there really isn't a good input method for Unicode (as
> a multi-lingual system---of course for any given national language you 
> can use a localized version with table-driven conversion).
> 
> 
	This is something I've wondered about a bit, so I'd be interested in
hearing the opinions of others on the list (although not explicitly Linux
related, so feel free to cut me off at any time).

	What would constitute a "Unicode Input Method" -- as opposed to a
collection of separate input methods by language/script?

	Obviously, you'd want the ability to do raw-hex input, although this
wouldn't be as much value to endusers.  You could also put up a char-chart
(by language/script/or code point) and have the user click, but that
wouldn't be an efficient way to type either.  Handwriting recognition would
be an interesting (but difficult) possibility.

	I supposed the only possibility of "unifying" input would have to be
by the physical appearance of the glpyh -- since anything
pronunciation-based would be language-specific, and require a certain
language base for every language used.  Plus there's a number of
non-pronounceable characters.  Of course, there are many glyphs with
alternate forms, and others with similiar appearances, so there couldn't be
anything close to a one-to-one correspondance.

	Does anyone have any good ideas?  Or is the localized approach the
ideal, and the idea of a common input method simply counterproductive?

	Thanks,
	Craig

	-- not speaking for intel

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